Seven members from IVAW's LA Chapter staged an early morning action on October 11th, placing 4,200 miniature soldiers around a gas station along with posters declaring "The Price of Gas: 4171 US SOLDIERS" (since the action, the number of US soldiers has climbed to 4,193). Participants in the Operation W.A.N.T. (We Are Not Toys) said their goal was to show average Americans what 4,171 US Soldiers looks like and to connect the deaths of US troops to this country's dependence on foreign oil. Read more for a photo gallery of this action

While it is fitting that our nation reserves a special day to honor the sacrifice and commitment of our warriors, it also serves to highlight how we, as a country, have fallen short of caring for our veterans, reintegrating them back into our communities, and demanding that our military be used responsibly and only as a last resort. Over 1.7 million men and women of the U.S. military have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and many of them now struggle to cope with physical and emotional injuries, with family relationships strained because of prolonged separation, and with finding employment during an economic recession.

Members of Iraq Veterans Against the War know that in order to truly honor our veterans, we must listen to them, not just on Veterans Day, but on the other 364 days as well. It is for each other, our military brothers and sisters, and for our country that IVAW works every day to share our experiences, to challenge the predominant narrative of war as heroic and glorious, and to expose people to the brutal reality and true human costs of modern warfare.

On November 4th Americans came together across lines of race, gender, class, and religion to elect Barack Obama as President of the United States, marking an historic moment for our nation.

Over the course of President-elect Obama’s campaign, many were ignited with the hope that change is possible, and we share that hope. As we take a moment to reflect on the significance of this vote, it is important for us to remember that our struggles did not end on election night. Real change has never come because of the actions of any one person, but only through the combined efforts of grassroots organizing by people with the courage and conviction to see their struggle through to the end.

Over the last four and a half years, Iraq Veterans Against the War has brought our message of change to our fellow veterans and members of the military, the American public, and indeed the world. Our message remains the same: it is time to immediately withdraw all occupying forces from Iraq; it is time to end the death and destruction facing the people of Iraq and address the needs of the Iraqi people; and it is time to provide our veterans with the care and benefits that they need and have earned through their service to our country.